Washing-machine.



T. H. LEWIS-a E. GLGRAVBS.

WASHING- Mmmm". I APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 6, 1907.

i para srnfr'as WASHING-MACHINE. n

masse.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, TOM H. Lnwrs and HENRY C. Gnavns, citizens of the United States, residing at Stillwater, in the county of Payne, State of Oklahoma, have invented a new and useful lVashing-lt'lachine, of which the following is a specilicatiou.

This invention has reference to improvements in washing machines, and its object is to provide a machine wherein the clothes to be treated are held elastically against the rubbing surfaces so that the pressure will not at any time become suliicient to damage the clothes during the process 0f washing and at the same time the relative movements of the parts due to the elastic pressure exerted will cause a surging of the cleansing fluid through the clothes in such manner as to rapidly act upon and dislodge any dirt that may be in the clothes.

rlhe invention consists in providing a slatted partition made up of slats flexibly connected together so that the partition as a whole is flexible, while the partition is hung upon yokes formed of coiled springs fast at their two ends to the top of the machine and under-riding the partition, which in turn has one end secured against movement, and the other end free. ln this way the partition will yield to the action of the clothes confined therein and being operated upon by the usual rotatable drum. Vhile the partition yields to the action of the clothes, should the same become bunched at any particular point, the under-riding spring yokes will always return the partition to its normal position as soon as the extra pressure is released. Since one end of the partition is fixed, the other end will move under the pressure of the clothes, and the movement of the partition will be somewhat similar to that of the unwinding 0f a spring of spiral form, while the under-riding spring yokes engaging the partition at substantially all points will tend `always to return it to its normal form when the pressure of the clothes is relieved thus preventing the partition from becoming set as might be the case were the partition not equally supported substantially all about its outer surface.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, in which,

Figure 1 is a cross section taken at right Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 6,

Patented Nov. 23, 1909.

1907. serial No. 391,683.

. angles to the drum; Fig. 2 is a section in the axis of the drum, with parts shown in elevation; Fig. 3 is a perspective View of a portion of the flexible partition or carrier; and Fig. 4 is a detail section showing the manner of securing one end of the partition to the side of the washing machine body.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a body 1 which may be generally rectangular in shape with a semi-cylindrical bottom, a portion of the walls of which may be made of sheet metal, as shown at 2. The body is provided with a double hinged cover, which need not be particularly described, and an exterior support for the reception of a wringer or for any other purpose for which it may be useful.

rlhe sides 3 of the washing machine may,

be made of wood, and these sides are provided at proper points with matched perforations for the passage of a shaft el. rlhis shaft has journal bearings at one end in a block 5 fast on the exterior of one of the sides 3 and at the other end in a plate 6 fast on the exterior of the other side of the washing machine body. The plate 6 is provided with an exterior boss 7 receiving a packing gland 8, and the shaft 4c extends through this packing gland and exterior thereto carries a pinion 9. rlChe plate 6 is continued toward the upper end of the corresponding side 3 and is there provided with another boss 10 from which projects a screw pintle 11 carrying a crown gear 12 with a solid web and held to the Vpintle against the boss end by a nut 13. This crown gear has its web side away from the body of the washing machine while the gear teeth are toward the washing machine. |The solid web of the crown gear 12 being exterior to the gear teeth prevents any accidental access to the gearing and so protects the user from harm while the machine is being manipulated. Extending radially from one side of the crown gear is a handle lever 14e by means of which the crown gear may be rotated or rocked as desired. It will be seen that by a single rotation of the crown gear the shaft l may be caused to rotate several times.

Mounted upon the shaft within the body of the washing machine there is a drum composed of heads 15 andconnecting slats 16. rlhe heads are preferably polygonal in shape and the slats correspond in number to the number of facets on the heads. These slats may be shaped in cross section as indicated in Fig. 1 or may be of any other suitable shape.

Fast to the sides of the body of the washing machine at the upper end thereof is a cross bar 17, and this cross bar carries rods 18 on which are strung a series of slats 19 having beveled sides, while the meeting edges of these slats are cut away for a distance longitudinally, as indicated at 20, so that numerous passageways are provided between the slats. rlhe cross bar 17 is rigidly secured by screws 21 or otherwise to the sides of the body of the washing machine and the series of slats are arranged close to but spaced from the adjacent walls of the machine, following the curvature of the bottom 2, and the other end of the series of slats, remote from the bar 17, is permitted to remain free within the body of the machine. The rods 18 are made of malleable metal so that the series of slats has a certain flexibility, and this series of slats constitutes what may be termed a flexible partition, partially surrounding the drum mounted upon the shaft .4; and extending to or nearly to the top of the machine body within the same.

Supporting the partition near the ends thereof are yokes made up of helical springs 22 secured at each end to the under side of the top of the machine between the partition and the walls of the machine body. These yokes are spring yokes, and, therefore, the partition in addition to its own flexibility, is elastically supported.

rlhe machine body is carried upon .suitable legs 23 and has the usual escape opening closed by a plug 211.

Then the machine is to be used the body thereof is partially filled with a cleansing Huid, such as soap water and other materials if so desired, and the clothes to be cleansed are introduced through the top of the machine, the cover being opened for the purpose.

The action of the under-riding spring yokes upon the iiexible partition is to curl its free end around the central drum and when clothes are introduced into the machine, the partitionwill be expanded as a whole because of the yielding' of the spring yoke until it may ultimately come into close relation-with the inner walls of the body of the washing machine.

Now, let it be supposed that a suitable quantity of clothing has been introduced into the machine and that, as is usually the case, the cleansing fiuid is in a hot condition. It is known that soap water or other cleansing fluids act best VVAon clothes when forced in numerous streams therethrough,

- with possibly such rubbing .as the clothes may be safely subjected to, 'and both of these actions are provided for by the operation of this machine. When the slatted drum is rotated or rocked the clothes are forced into the space between the drum and the slatted partition. Since this partition is elastically mounted, it will, of course, yield to any force sufficient to overcome the springs 22 and when the pressure against these springs is relieved the partition is returned toward its normal position. Now, since the cleansing fiuid lls the space through which the clothes are forced when confined between the drum and partition, the iiuid currents set up by the agitation of the clothes and the yielding and return movements of the partition find their way and are forced through the mass of clothing, loosening up any dirt that may be lodged therein and washing it out from the fibers of the clothes, thus thoroughly cleansing` the saine, the rubbing action to which the clothes are subjected by the drum in forcing them against the partition aiding in this cleansing operation.'

Between the heads 15 of the rotatable drum and the corresponding ends 8 of the body of the washing machine there are disks 25 of greater diameter than that of the drum, and these disks are so related to the partition as to be engaged thereby should the partition from any cause approach the drum. The partition is thereby prevented from ever coming into engagement with the drum and so do injury thereto or be itself injured.

lVe claim 1. n a washing machine a rotatable drum, a flexible partition composed of connected slats and arranged exterior to the drum and within the body of the machine, said fiexible partition being connected at one end to and suspended from the top of the washing machine body and free at the other end, and extensible spring yokes suspended at both ends from the top of the machine, and under-riding and supporting the partition yieldingly.

2. In a washing machine, a rotatable drum, a flexible partition housing the drum and suspended at one end from the top of the washing machine body with its other end free, and support-ing means for the partition composed of extensible springs each secured at the two ends and under-riding and upholding said flexible partition.

n testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own, we have hereto affixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

TOM H. LEVIS'.

HENRY C. GRAVES.

lVitnesses S. l/V. KEISER, ZELLA LYrToN. 

